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Synopsis Our House is a musical featuring the greatest hits of 80s pop band, Madness! As well as featuring two all new songs written by Madness, the show is full of the band's greatest musical numbers, including Baggy Trousers, It Must Be Love, Driving In My Car, House of Fun and Night Boat to Cairo. Billed as a London love story, Our House centres on two teenagers living in North London to the backdrop of Madness' hit songs. It is the story of Joe and his girlfriend Sarah who live in modern-day London, and follows two different courses his life could have taken following a petty crime.
Our House, It Must be Love
Birmingham Rep, Tuesday 3 June 2008
Last night saw a full house for Our House the Olivier Award winning musical at the start of a long UK tour.
This show closes the current main house season at The Rep and what could be better than a story of one man’s life and the different directions that one decision might take him on interlaced with the music of 80’s pop group Madness.
Director Matthew Warchus and writer Tim Firth have cast a fresh pair of eyes over the original West End production and feel they have improved the overall show and with the addition of new material have created an even better outcome. Of course, that is for you to decide. This was my first time of seeing the show and I was knocked out by the energy and the fun but there was a serious side too. The show has all the right elements and there are strong central characters and performances.
It was great to have a proper band and I suppose that is the bonus of using the music of Madness as it works so well when properly presented. Musical director Phil Bateman and his talented band really were the icing on the cake.
One of the most exciting and breathtaking sequences in the show was when the audience is taken on a roller coaster ride in the car and it is so realistic that you are on the edge of your seat. All the production numbers are at their very best making full use of the huge Rep stage and choreographer Peter Darling adds his West End experience giving them a gloss finish.
Rob Howell has designed an impressive set that works with the minimum of fuss and he also designed the colourful costumes making this a high impact show. His Camden Lock set was evocative.
The principal actors Chris Carswell, making his professional debut as Joe Casey and West End experienced actress Miria Parvin as Sarah both made a huge impact with the audience and deserved the standing ovation which they and the whole show received. Once again, this is all about a group of actors working together and a show gelling together and last nights performance showed exactly that. It was good to see former X Factor winner Steve Brookstein and popular television actress Gwyneth Strong play Joe’s mum and dad.
This turned out to be family night out and the show can be seen at The Rep until Saturday 21 June. It then goes on tour stopping off at venues throughout the UK. Don’t miss it. - Clive Fuller
Centenary Square Broad Street Birmingham West Midlands B1 2EP
Telephone
0121 236 4455
Station
Description
[TMA] member. Minicom Bookings - 0121 236 4455. Building work planned to start in 2011 which will last for 2 years. During this time REP will be performing at different venues across the city.
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